ZERO ENERGY NOW!
Green Mountain Power CEED Grant Program

In late 2015, BPPA applied for a major grant to design, develop, deliver, track and report comprehensive deep energy retrofit projects in 2016.

The funding was made available in February 2016 and BPPA's ZEN! (Zero Energy Now!) program was launched immediately. 35 homes were retrofit resulting in an average of 60% reduction in non-renewable (defined as fossil & grid) energy savings. 

Next steps for BPPA's Zero Energy Now Program include:

• ZEN Presentation
  Energy Action Network Summit
  Thursday Sept. 26, 2019 at Champlain College
  
  
• ZEN Presentation
  Better Buildings by Design
  February 5 & 6, 2020 at Burlington Doubletree Hotel
  

• Impact Report
  Producing a comprehensive impact report utilizing real life data from the completed 30 projects.
• ZEN in a Box
  Review of lessons learned and capturing and packaging all critical components of the program in a ZEN Manual for use in helping stakeholders to reproduce ZEN's success.
• Act 56 Tier III
  BPPA will continue to promote ZEN as a potentially providing the critical programmatic structure that stakeholders, funders and policy makers need to enable wider adoption of whole energy approaches for residential and small business.

2018 and Ongoing Work

Vermont Department of Public Service

Click Here to find out more about Vermont's Dept. Of Public Service
VT's DPS promotes energy efficiency and provides long range planning for the state's energy needs through the Comprehensive Energy Plan.

Because the DPS is charged with developing and implementing Vermont's Comprehensive Energy Plan, BPPA maintains a close relationship to insure that Building Performance Professionals' goals and concerns are well considered in all planning and development.

BPPA's current work with Vermont's Dept. of Public Service includes:

• Participation in PSD sponsored Clean Energy Finance Collaborative
• Advocacy for mandatory blower door testing of new and renovated residential construction
• Participation in development of State supported guarantee program for weatherization

Clean Energy Finance Collaborative

Recently, BPPA has had representation on the Dept.'s Clean Energy Finance Collaborative holding a seat on the Collaborative's steering committee and small commercial working group. The goal of the Collaborative is to identify and address financing barriers that inhibit residential, small commercial and MUSH (municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals) from moving forward with energy efficiency projects.

 

Efficiency Vermont

EVT is a major supporter of BPPA

BPPA works closely with EVT at every opportunity in a coordinated effort to maximize program impact while doing our best to represent the interests of our members.

BPPA's current work with EVT includes:

• Collaboration in data collection and analysis for Phase 1 of Zero Energy Now
• Participation in development of a Zero Energy Now style program
  
  

Vermont State Government: legislature, agency, policy development

At every opportunity BPPA works with all stakeholders, including the Vermont State Government, in an effort to more deeply develop and expand the EE market and to maximize program impact while doing our best to represent the unique interests of our members.

Energy Action Network (EAN)
Presentation of BPPA’s Zero Energy Now program to EAN board in Dec. 2018.
ZEN will be featured in EAN’s 2018 annual report as an example of an innovative and aggressive energy and carbon reduction program.  http://eanvt.org/2017annualreport/

2017 

Solar Bonus Program 

BPPA's follow up to the Zero Energy Now program was designed to encourage customers to include envelope upgrades as part of their overall energy saving projects. Incentives were offered if certain envelope improvements were done in conjunction with solar installation. 

 

2019 Residential Building Energy Standards (RBES)

BPPA has been participating in the process of developing the 2019 Vermont RBES, lobbying to require that all new and renovated residential buildings require blower door testing both during and after construction to insure code adherence.

Code Compliance/Contractor Registry

BPPA has been participating in the preparation of a position paper to be presented to the VT Legislature advocating for energy code compliance as a requirement for participation in a state registry of building contractors.